COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 Response from Vestavia Hills UMC

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Updated August 11, 2021
The rise of the Delta Variant of COVID-19 has a history of hitting “pockets” of populations quickly and furiously. Currently, North Alabama is starting to see the surge, but South Alabama has been engulfed in it for several weeks, and modeling indicates that it will continue to migrate north. The populations at risk with this round are children and unvaccinated persons, and quite a few younger adults.

All of our major gathering spaces (Sanctuary, Tyson Hall, Fellowship Hall, the Chapel, and all rooms in the Lighthouse building) have the same air purification systems as ICU units. These were added last year and stops the recycling of contaminated air. So unless these spaces are filled to capacity, we feel that they are relatively safe in normal worship situations. Small classrooms (except in the Lighthouse building) do not have these systems.

Vestavia Methodist is attempting to run all of our programming but are making a few adjustments to improve safety. The Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for how our facility is used, and the following changes are being implemented by them immediately, to be reviewed monthly starting on September 15, or earlier if the situation changes.

Church Services and Small Groups

The CDC, the pastoral staff, and the church lay leadership, strongly request and encourage the use of masks indoors, even for vaccinated persons. Though masks are not a cure-all, they can help stop a cough or sneeze from going as far. While masking is not a requirement, we ask everyone to make this sacrifice out of love of those who are immunocompromised and families with small children. All clergy and staff will be masked during all Sunday and Wednesday activities, except when eating.

If your Sunday School space feels tight with the number of persons attending, we can re-visit moving to a different room. Also, any group may choose to use equipment allowing “hybrid” classes using Zoom or another similar software by emailing sstrammell@vhumc.org. Contact mburnett@vhumc.org to look at other, limited, room/space options, or to set your room by social distancing guidelines. If a class discovers that someone in the class had an unknown infection and suspects that others were potentially exposed, the class should contact everyone present that day. The CDC then advises that persons wear a mask while around others, be tested after the third day, and then quarantine if the test is positive.

Children and youth classes and small groups will continue masking at their parent’s discretion. Please share with the leader of your child’s group to express your wishes. All greeters, staff, and volunteers who are caring for children 5th grade and under must be masked while caring for children in the children’s building.

Masks will be required on any bus, including for Wednesday Prayer Breakfast.

Church / Office Staff

Staff are encouraged to use masks when appropriate distancing can not be achieved. On Sundays, Wednesday evenings, and when social distancing is not possible, masks will be required for church staff.

Vestavia Day School

Children six weeks to k-5 follow the policies of DHR. DHR requires children stay in “pods” (a group of children who stay together all day not mingling with children from other classes while indoors). Teachers will not have to stay with a single pod.

Teachers will use masks at all times.

Children will remain in pods, even though this will require a reduction of operating hours until the tight labor market eases and additional staff can be hired.

After School Program

Because public schools are not requiring masks, it is our hope that we can avoid quarantining as much as possible. To achieve this, we will require masks of all children and staff. We will only quarantine a pod if more than one child is diagnosed with in 48 hours, hinting that the exposure was on our property and was not from community spread.

Vestavia Dance and Conservatory of the Arts

Teachers and students will be masked unless sufficient social distancing can be achieved.

If anyone is not feeling well, even just a few sniffles, please stay home for a few days and/or see a doctor. Many vaccinated persons with a “break-through” case are showing very minor symptoms, but with the new variant, can be highly contagious.

We recognize that everyone is at different places emotionally and in their understanding of how this variant works. We do not claim to have all the answers and will likely make adjustments as things evolve. Anyone who does not feel comfortable is invited to watch our Facebook Live Stream (8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. for Traditional Services, and 11 a.m. for Contemporary).

Thank you for your patience as we all live through this latest, and probably not last, battle in the COVID Pandemic.

Grace and Peace,
The VHUMC Board of Trustees and Pastoral Staff

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August 3, 2021
The rise of the Delta Variant in the last two weeks has impacted a number of families connected to Vestavia Methodist, principally children in our Day School, parents of those children, and some of our youth. We also had some cases among children at “Created for a Purpose” that came to light. To date, no vaccinated adults have had to be hospitalized. We have one person, unvaccinated, who is in ICU and in deep need of our prayers. It appears that vaccinated persons can be a carrier of the Delta variant, which is a change in previous variants. Prior to two weeks ago, we had had no incidents of COVID for a number of months, to our knowledge, so we are trying to deal with this quickly emerging threat.

We learned many things that worked, and many recommendations that had little effect, with the previous versions of COVID. The Delta Variant seems to have morphed causing us to struggle for how to make common-sensical responses, while not wanting to return to cancellations. The greatest threat right now seems to be to children and their families, and to unvaccinated persons. To date, our Board of Trustees and pastoral leadership have not re-instituted requirements across the board, but are preferring to deal with specific situations to mitigate risk. Here are the principles guiding us and some shifts we are making:

1. All of our major gathering spaces (Sanctuary, Tyson Hall, Fellowship Hall, and all rooms in the Lighthouse building) have the same air purification systems as ICU units. These were added last year and stops the recycling of contaminated air. Small classrooms (except in the Lighthouse building) do not have these systems. So unless these spaces are filled to capacity, we feel that they are relatively safe in normal worship situations.
2. The CDC, and church leadership, encourage the use of masks indoors, even for vaccinated persons. Though masks are not a cure-all, they can help stop a cough or sneeze from going as far. Especially in situations where there are a large number of persons in a tight space, we will ask for masking. Immediately, this includes Discovery Weekend and the 9:45 Discovery service this Sunday where there will be a large number of people close together.
3. If your Sunday School space feels tight with the number of persons attending, we can re-visit moving to a different room.
4. Our Fuel Classes will be using masks and resume social distancing. Our Day School Teachers will be required to mask, and we will not be mixing children from different classrooms so that quarantining is limited by class. Our Student Ministries and Children’s staff will continue to follow parent’s requests for masking for Sunday School and regular programming.
5. If you are not feeling well, even just a few sniffles, please stay home for a few days and/or see a doctor. Many vaccinated persons with a “break-through” case are showing very minor symptoms, but with the new variant, can be highly contagious.

We do not claim to have all the answers, but are trying to wisely manage risk. We are certainly open to ideas as we go forward. If we see additional spread, we may have to revisit these operating guidelines. Thank you for doing everything possible to keep each other safe.

Grace and Peace,
The Pastoral Leadership Team